Can I deduct airfare or any other costs to care for child who was out of state for college & had major surgery with pre and post op surgery care required?

[maglib]

Medical expenses if you itemize and further limited to total amount greater than 7.5% AGI.  https://www.irs.gov/publications/p502

Lodging

You can include in medical expenses the cost of meals and lodging at a hospital or similar institution if a principal reason for being there is to receive medical care. See Nursing Home , later.

You may be able to include in medical expenses the cost of lodging not provided in a hospital or similar institution. You can include the cost of such lodging while away from home if all of the following requirements are met.

1. The lodging is primarily for and essential to medical care.

2. The medical care is provided by a doctor in a licensed hospital or in a medical care facility related to, or the equivalent of, a licensed hospital.

3. The lodging isn't lavish or extravagant under the circumstances.

4. There is no significant element of personal pleasure, recreation, or vacation in the travel away from home.

The amount you include in medical expenses for lodging can't be more than $50 for each night for each person. You can include lodging for a person traveling with the person receiving the medical care. For example, if a parent is traveling with a sick child, up to $100 per night can be included as a medical expense for lodging. Meals aren't included.

Don't include the cost of lodging while away from home for medical treatment if that treatment isn't received from a doctor in a licensed hospital or in a medical care facility related to, or the equivalent of, a licensed hospital or if that lodging isn't primarily for or essential to the medical care received.

Meals

You can include in medical expenses the cost of meals at a hospital or similar institution if a principal reason for being there is to get medical care.

You can't include in medical expenses the cost of meals that aren't part of inpatient care. Also see Weight-Loss Program and Nutritional Supplements , later.

Transportation

You can include in medical expenses amounts paid for transportation primarily for, and essential to, medical care.

You can include:

• Bus, taxi, train, or plane fares or ambulance service,

• Transportation expenses of a parent who must go with a child who needs medical care,

• Transportation expenses of a nurse or other person who can give injections, medications, or other treatment required by a patient who is traveling to get medical care and is unable to travel alone, and

• Transportation expenses for regular visits to see a mentally ill dependent, if these visits are recommended as a part of treatment.

Car expenses.

You can include out-of-pocket expenses, such as the cost of gas and oil, when you use a car for medical reasons. You can't include depreciation, insurance, general repair, or maintenance expenses.

If you don't want to use your actual expenses for 2017, you can use the standard medical mileage rate of 17 cents a mile.

You can also include parking fees and tolls. You can add these fees and tolls to your medical expenses whether you use actual expenses or the standard mileage rate.

Example.

In 2017, Bill Jones drove 2,800 miles for medical reasons. He spent $400 for gas, $30 for oil, and $100 for tolls and parking. He wants to figure the amount he can include in medical expenses both ways to see which gives him the greater deduction.

He figures the actual expenses first. He adds the $400 for gas, the $30 for oil, and the $100 for tolls and parking for a total of $530.

He then figures the standard mileage amount. He multiplies 2,800 miles by 17 cents a mile for a total of $476. He then adds the $100 tolls and parking for a total of $576.

Bill includes the $576 of car expenses with his other medical expenses for the year because the $576 is more than the $530 he figured using actual expenses.

Transportation expenses you can't include.

 

You can't include in medical expenses the cost of transportation in the following situations.

• Going to and from work, even if your condition requires an unusual means of transportation.

• Travel for purely personal reasons to another city for an operation or other medical care.

• Travel that is merely for the general improvement of one's health.

• The costs of operating a specially equipped car for other than medical reasons.

Trips

You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay for transportation to another city if the trip is primarily for, and essential to, receiving medical services. You may be able to include up to $50 for each night for each person. You can include lodging for a person traveling with the person receiving the medical care. For example, if a parent is traveling with a sick child, up to $100 per night can be included as a medical expense for lodging. Meals aren't included. See Lodging , earlier.

You can't include in medical expenses a trip or vacation taken merely for a change in environment, improvement of morale, or general improvement of health, even if the trip is made on the advice of a doctor. However, see Medical Conferences , earlier.

[georgesT]

Yes, plane fares expenses of a parent who must go with a child who needs medical care is deductible as well as medical related expenses.  See below link for  list of allowable medical expenses. 

You're only allowed to claim medical expenses that you already paid to the provider.

For example, if you're making monthly payments to the hospital for last year's operation, you can only deduct what you paid so far, not what the total operation will eventually cost you.

However, if you charged the entire bill to your credit card which you're still paying off, you can claim the full cost.

The IRS defines the "paid date" as:

• The date you put the bill on your credit card;
• The date you mailed or delivered the check or money order;
• The date the charge appeared on your statement, if you paid the bill online or via telephone.

Related Information:

• What kinds of medical expenses are deductible?
• Where do I enter my medical expenses?

For medical expenses to be deducted on the tax return, you must itemize deductions on Schedule A, and your unreimbursed medical expenses must exceed 10 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI).   Then, you can only deduct the amount by which your unreimbursed medical expenses exceed this 10 percent threshold (7.5% of AGI for age 65 and older until 2017).

Where to enter medical expenses in TurboTax:  While inside the software and working on your return, type medical expenses, sch a in the Search at the top of the screen (you may see a magnifying glass there).  There will be a popup that says Jump to medical expenses, sch A.  Select that to get to the general area. 

Please see the following link for a comprehensive list of deductible medical expenses.  IRS Medical Expenses